Last night, the San Jose Sharks defeated the Florida Panthers 4–1. But few people will remember the final score. Instead, the main talking point was the huge fight between goaltenders Sergei Bobrovsky and Alex Nedeljkovic. After the game, Nedeljkovic delivered a perfect response when asked about his performance in the fight.
With three goals in the second period, the Sharks secured a 4–1 win in Sunrise. The victory moves San Jose into a playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Panthers, meanwhile, sit four points out of a wild-card spot in the East. However, the result itself was not the headline of the night. Neither was the return of Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk, who was playing his first game of the season.
READ MORE: Sergei Bobrovky and Alex Nedeljkovic in epic goalie fight
Sergei Bobrovsky fight Alex Nedeljkovic
What everyone wanted to talk about after the game was the fight between the two goaltenders. The altercation broke out in the third period following a brawl in the Sharks’ zone. When Nedeljkovic stepped in to defend his teammates, Bobrovsky skated the length of the ice and dropped his gloves. Nedeljkovic answered the challenge, giving fans an instant-classic goalie fight. The crowd—and the players on both benches—absolutely loved it.
Gave the perfect response
Speaking to reporters after the game, Bobrovsky admitted he enjoyed the moment.
“It’s exciting, but obviously it’s not something I do for a living,” Bobrovsky said, according to Sportsnet. “It is what it is. We had a good fight. I made a decision and went straight into it.”
When Nedeljkovic was asked about the fight, he offered a memorable response.
“I felt it was a little bit of an ‘oh crap’ moment, and fight or flight kind of kicked in,” Nedeljkovic said. “I’ve tried to watch Reavo as best I could, and I hope I made him a little bit proud.”
You can watch the fight and the interview below.
READ MORE: Sergei Bobrovsky slammed by fans after ”ironic” comment
